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Today’s World through the Lens of Economics

22 October, 2025

In November, Filip Matějka and Jan Zápal are once again launching their popular course Fundamental Social Issues from the Point of View of Economics.

The course is built on an approach that treats economics as a tool for understanding and addressing the pressing challenges of today’s world. Over six Monday evenings in November and December, the lecturers and students from divers study programs in Charles university will explore current topics such as how markets function, the present threats to democracy, inequality, climate change, and the role of the media. The issues of the final session will be chosen based on a discussion with the students.

The course is open to all Charles University students. It starts on Monday, November 10, 2025. Participants can earn credit either by submitting an essay or by writing a review of a book that explores an issue through an economic lens.

Rather than relying on lectures, the course is built around guided discussions, real-world examples, and hands-on demonstrations of economic principles through experiments. “These are experiments we often designed ourselves. The goal is for students to experience these principles firsthand. That way, they engage with the topic on a much deeper level and are far more motivated to reflect on what they’ve learned than if we simply told them about it,” explains Filip Matějka.

Throughout the course, students will become familiar with the basic concepts of economics. Not through abstract theories or formulas. Instead, they’ll arrive at them through practical examples of economic thinking. The more technical methods and theories will come later in their studies if they wish to dive deeper into the field.

“Our course turns the usual introduction to economics on its head,” says Jan Zápal. “We start with big, society-wide questions and look at them through the eyes of economics, asking how economic thinking can help us understand and respond to them.” According to Zápal, students end up learning more about key economic ideas and reasoning this way than if they started with traditional models and equations.

“Our approach isn’t unique nowadays. I recently came across something similar in the book How Economics Can Save the World by Erik Angner,” adds Zápal. The book presents accessible, research-based ways of addressing various global problems and crises, drawing on insights from Nobel laureates and leading economists.

A similar perspective on economics — and a window into its many modern applications — will also be featured at the CERGE-EI Festival on December 4, 2025, which showcases a wide range of career paths grounded in economic research.

Photo: Charles University / Michal Novotný